Q+A: Don't call it a comeback for Naqvi
Also: Policing the press, byelection watch, strong-mayor budget, Ford's first presser of 2023, and a dog mayor
ABOVE THE FOLD
Q+A: NAQVI FOR LEADER — YASIR NAQVI is kicking his exploratory bid to lead the provincial Liberals into high gear — but don’t call it a comeback.
It may have been a few years since the Queen’s Park alumni was in the provincial arena, but he’s been anything but quiet on the political front.
Now a federal MP for Ottawa Centre — the same riding he represented at the Leg before losing his seat along with dozens of other Grits in 2018 — the former attorney general, house leader, minister of labour, community safety and more is returning to his roots in the provincial party, this time, in the hopes of taking the helm.
I caught up with Naqvi to get a sense of where he’s at in the nascent race, how he plans to rebuild the party and take on DOUG FORD, and what he thinks about the gossip swirling around his potential candidacy.
Here are the highlights (lightly edited for length and clarity):
QPO: Where are you at in the race for Liberal leader? Still “seriously considering”, or is it official yet?
YN: Well, I’m very seriously exploring, obviously I’ve not made the final decision. Part of that exercise is listening to Liberals from across the province. I’ve been speaking with party elders, organizers, activists and rank and file members to get a sense of their view on what has happened and what needs to happen in terms of rebuilding the party, and what they think about my potential candidacy. These are all very important questions.
I’m starting to travel a bit as well, so that I can meet people face to face. That’s the next big part of the exploration process. And I’ve got a small group of friends and volunteers helping me out in these conversations.
QPO: So I want to dig into all of that, but just off the bat, where are you touring?
YN: I’ve started from my from my neck of the woods, so I’ve been active in the Ottawa area, but I have been to the GTA, including the City of Toronto, to meet with folks. This week, we’ll be traveling to Windsor, Hamilton and back to the GTA and Peel region in particular.
QPO: I know you’ve been talking to Liberals and have read the party’s big campaign debrief report that came out last week, but from your perspective as a candidate and minister in 2018, what went wrong and do you have any regrets?
YN: A lot has happened in the last few years since 2018. So my big focus is the future. The party needs some serious rebuilding that needs to happen at a grassroots level. I’ve been party president in the past; I’ve got significant experience in knowing what robust riding associations look like, what it takes to attract people, the level training that goes into mobilizing people at a local community level — that has not been done and needs to happen moving forward, if we’re going to be competitive.
The second big piece that I’m hearing from people is a definition of what is an Ontario Liberal? What does the Ontario Liberal Party stand for? How do we come up with the policies and policy ideas that really speak to the core needs of Ontarians because people are feeling very disillusioned, they’re hurting a lot in terms of the decisions that the current government’s making.
QPO: A challenge that ex-leader STEVEN DEL DUCA faced was the PCs painting him with the KATHLEEN WYNNE brush, reviving unpopular decision making from her days as Premier. What if it happens again, and the PCs tie you to your days on Wynne’s front bench, or link you with your current caucus head Prime Minister JUSTIN TRUDEAU? What’s your strategy for that?
YN: My strategy is to speak directly to the people of Ontario and talk about their issues and their concerns. People are hurting and our health care system is failing, our education system is leaving kids behind. With this government, there’s no foresight as to how we build these very important critical things that people rely on.
What I bring to this race, if I’m elected leader, is experience and credibility. And part of that experience is making decisions, tough decisions, and also recognizing if mistakes are made and that no government is perfect — I think this current government is a great case in point.
I’m the kind of person who recognizes mistakes and commits to them and ensures that I don’t make those mistakes again by learning from them. If I’m elected leader, I want to present a path forward that ensures that we’re making peoples lives easier to live, by ensuring they have access to good health care and good education that is publicly funded.
QPO: I’ve been speaking with Liberals about your potential candidacy and hope you can weigh in on some of the cheeky buzz. Some sources say your top advisers have been asking you not to run. Others are wondering “why do this to himself?” Another source said their takeaway from a conversation with you was that you were pitching yourself as not someone who wants the job, but as the only person who can actually rebuild the party to where it needs to be. What’s your take on all this?
YN: Gossip is gossip, and this all coming as a very unique surprise to me [laughs]. To be very frank with you — and I’m having very upfront and frank conversations with people across the province — that is not my pitch whatsoever. I’m excited to do this, if I make that decision. I spent a lot of time reflecting before I even got to the point where I started to pick up the phone and call people.
I’m in politics to make an impact. I’m really concerned about the future of not only my party, but the province. I see the incredible opportunities that I had as an immigrant kid who came to this country and was able to build a successful life. As I talk to people, they don’t feel that those opportunities exist for them. That’s what’s compelling me to seriously look at this to rebuild our party and to put forward a very strong rationale as to why Ontario Liberals should lead this province, so that we can rebuild our public health care and public education systems.
QPO: You’ve said that you didn’t seek the leadership in 2020 for family reasons. In talking to Liberals now, I’m wondering if you’ve chatted with CHRISTINE MCMILLAN, your ex-wife who also ran the last campaign? How did that conversation go — was she supportive or give you any advice?
YN: Christine and I have a very important relationship, we’re very amicably co-parenting our two beautiful children, so we talk a lot about the well-being of our kids and the day-to-day stuff parents go through — and that’s our primary relationship.
She’s also obviously a professional in her own right, and of course I’ve spoken to her and she’s quite supportive of me pursuing this and exploring this opportunity.
QPO: I’ve heard some names floating around for your potential campaign team, including your former longtime staffer and current party executive VP JACKIE CHOQUETTE. Ditto party secretary SARAH MAGEE. Can you confirm their roles?
YN: We’re nowhere close to that…It’s a very small organization at the moment because we’re just exploring. Of course, these individuals have been very close to me, both professionally and personally. They’re good friends, so they’re obviously spending a lot of time as volunteers in helping me in this process.
QPO: The party’s big campaign debrief report recommended consultations on changing the current leadership process. What would you like to see change?
YN: Let me start by saying that I think we need to build an inclusive party — not an exclusive organization. One of the best ways to grow a party and make it more inclusive and bring in all kinds of people is free membership. That’s something that I’ve always supported, even when I was party president.
And having a leadership selection process that is based on a weighted one-member, one-vote system. I spoke in favour of that at the last AGM when this was debated and voted for it back then. My mind has not changed.
HAPPENING TODAY
DOUG FORD’S WEDNESDAY — 1 p.m.: After a photo-op tour of a new hospital facility, the Premier heads to his home turf in Etobicoke for an announcement at a Shoppers Drug Mart alongside Health Minister SYLVIA JONES. Ford will also take questions with reporters at his first presser of the year.
BYELECTION WATCH — 11 a.m.: Liberals in Hamilton Centre will nominate their candidate for the as-yet-unannounced byelection to replace ANDREA HORWATH. The NDP already have their contender for the Orange stronghold: disability advocate SARAH JAMA. Premier DOUG FORD has six months from when Horwath resigned to call a byelection, which means we’ll get a date by mid February. Invite.
ON THE COMMITTEE CIRCUIT — The schedule for the travelling pre-budget consultation tour has changed. The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is now headed to Windsor on January 23. Full lineup.
IN OTHER NEWS…
— POLICING THE PRESS: The press gallery is praising Radio-Canada reporter MYRIAM EDDAHIA for breezing right through Peel Police’s attempt to get her to stick to on-topic questions at a presser featuring Health Minister SYLVIA JONES. Eddahia was unfazed, citing freedom of press, and plowed ahead with a question about internal documents acknowledging Bill 124 would impact the province’s ability to retain health care staff.
From Global: “When asked directly about the documents, Jones sidestepped the question but instead touted the government’s retention bonuses offered to nurses who chose to remain in the system.
‘There is no doubt that we have seen incredible work done by our health-care professionals, nurses, physicians working in emergency departments in a, frankly, challenging time as we still deal with the remnants of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses,’ Jones told reporters at the unrelated news conference.”
— COVID COURTROOM: “A class-action lawsuit charges that the province was ‘grossly negligent’ in failing to prevent waves of long-term-care deaths in the early stages of the pandemic.” More from the National Post: “Governments enjoy broad immunity against civil suits generally, and a 2020 Ontario law barred almost all types of COVID-related legal action specifically. But a judge has ruled the families of nursing-home victims can sue the minister of long-term care, citing the plaintiffs’ contention that the government showed bad faith and an acute degree of negligence.”
— STRONG-MAYOR BUDGET: Toronto Mayor JOHN TORY dropped the first budget of the “strong mayor” era, featuring a whopping 5.5 per cent property tax increase — the highest since amalgamation in 1998.
— PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF: “It’s ‘mission accomplished’ and time to move on, says Dr. MATT STRAUSS, Haldimand—Norfolk’s acting medical officer of health…Strauss was appointed acting medical officer of health in 2021. His appointment generated a lot of media attention and controversy in response to his views on dealing with the pandemic. Strauss was not a supporter of lockdown measures.” Details in the Simcoe Reformer.
— DRESS CODE: “Halton trustees have ordered the director of education to create and implement a ‘professionalism policy’ for staff — that includes standards of dress — by March.” More from the Star: “The move came just two weeks after the education minister weighed in on the controversy over a trans teacher who wears large prosthetic breasts with protruding nipples, saying there is ‘profound concern’ with the way the board has handled the situation.”
— ALL ABOARD: “Trains will soon be running again between Toronto and Northern Ontario. But first, they’re going in the freezer,” the Star reports.
SPOTTED:
Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY addressing fiscal plans with Canadians in New York…Trade Minister VIC FEDELI talking Uber, EVs and biotech south of the border…Ex-MPP RANDY HILLIER’s Lanark cottage available for rent, complete with a wood stove, library and No More Lockdowns signage…PC CHRISTINE HOGARTH shaking the paw of a very good boy and his worship MAX, Mimico’s first pet mayor.
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
— Trisha Rinneard, Wellington Advocacy: Shoppers Drug Mart
— Laryssa Hetmanczuk, GT and Company: Film Ontario, TDL Group Corp.
— Christopher Froggatt, Dan Mader, Mykyta Drakokhrust and Nicholas Pozhke, Loyalist Public Affairs Clients: Ontario Special Constable Association
— Sarah Letersky, Rubicon Strategy: College Employer Council, Novartis
— Christopher Mourtos, ONpoint Strategy Group: Ontario Sporting Dog Association
— Christopher Steer, Santis Health: Atos Medical Canada Inc.
— Noah Niznick, Public Affairs Advisors: Electronic Transactions Association
— Peter Van Loan, Aird & Berlis: Argo Development Corporation
— Alexandra Valcour, Hill+Knowlton Strategies: Dexcom Canada Co.
— Sadaf Abbasi, Sussex Strategy Group: Harbour Technologies Inc.
— Cameron Miranda-Radbord, Pathway Group: Ontario Paramedic Association
— Judy Mintz, Mintz & Associates: Anna Biosciences
— Stephanie Gomes, NATIONAL Public Relations: Bay Area Health Trust
— Samuel Goodwin, Goodwin Consulting: Ontario Charitable Gaming Association
— Ashton Arsenault, Crestview Strategy: Telesat Canada
⌛ COUNTDOWN: T-minus 37 days until the Premier has to call a byelection in Hamilton Centre…24 days until MARIT STILES takes lead of the NDP…41 days until the House reconvenes….79 days until the budget is legally due out.